60

Lia

The next morning came too quickly, the warmth of the night before replaced by the cold, hard reality of the fight we were still in. Petrik was already up when I opened my eyes, the faint sound of his voice carrying through the closed door of the bedroom. He was on the phone, the sharp edge in his tone reminding me of just how much we had to do—and how little time we had to do it.

I sat up, running a hand through my hair as I tried to collect myself. Last night had been... intense. The memory of his touch, his words, lingered like a brand, but I couldn’t afford to dwell on it. Not now. There was too much at stake.

By the time I walked into the kitchen, Petrik was off the phone, leaning against the counter with a cup of coffee in hand. He looked up as I entered, his gaze softening for a moment before the mask of control slid back into place.

“Morning,” he said, his voice steady.

“Morning,” I replied, my tone just as neutral.

We didn’t talk about what had happened between us—not yet. Instead, we fell into the rhythm of preparing for the next step in our plan. Nikolai joined us not long after, his laptop already balanced on one hand as he carried a mug in the other.

“Good news and bad news,” Nikolai said, setting his laptop down on the table.

“Let’s start with the good news,” I said, hoping for even the smallest bit of relief.

“We’ve fully mapped Diana’s financial network,” Nikolai said, a note of triumph in his voice. “And I’ve already started freezing some of her smaller accounts. She’s going to feel the squeeze.”

Petrik nodded, his jaw tightening. “And the bad news?”

“She knows,” Nikolai said grimly. “I picked up chatter on one of her encrypted channels. She’s aware we’ve hit her finances, and she’s not happy.”

“Of course she knows,” Petrik muttered, running a hand through his hair. “She always knows.”

“There’s more,” Nikolai said, his tone turning serious. “She’s calling a meeting with her remaining allies tonight. It’s going to be big—probably a rallying cry to hold onto what’s left of her power.”

My stomach sank. “Where?”

“An exclusive club downtown,” Nikolai replied. “High security, invitation-only. If we’re going to crash it, we’ll need to be smart.”

“We’re going,” Petrik said without hesitation.

“Petrik,” I started, but he cut me off.

“This is our chance,” he said, his voice hard. “If she’s pulling her people together, it means she’s desperate. If we can expose her—or better yet, dismantle what’s left of her network—we’ll finally have the upper hand.”

“It’s not that simple,” I said, stepping closer. “You know she’ll have contingencies. She’s not going to make this easy.”

“She never does,” he said, his eyes locking onto mine. “But we don’t have a choice. This is the fight we’ve been waiting for.”

I wanted to argue, to tell him that walking into Diana’s den was suicide. But I knew he was right. This was our chance, and if we didn’t take it, we might not get another.

“Fine,” I said, my voice steady. “But we do this smart. No risks we don’t have to take.”

He nodded, his gaze softening slightly. “Agreed.”

That night, the club was alive with energy. The music thumped faintly through the walls, and the line of luxury cars outside was a testament to the kind of people Diana attracted. Nikolai had managed to forge invitations for us, and as we stepped inside, I felt the familiar weight of tension settle over me.

The interior was sleek and modern, all dark wood and glass, with soft lighting casting long shadows across the space. Masked servers weaved through the crowd, carrying trays of champagne and hors d'oeuvres. It was a stark contrast to the danger lurking just beneath the surface.

“Stay close,” Petrik murmured, his hand brushing lightly against mine as we moved through the crowd. His touch was brief, but it grounded me, reminding me that we weren’t alone in this.

We spotted Diana almost immediately. She stood near the center of the room, surrounded by a circle of sharp-dressed men and women who hung on her every word. She was radiant, her gold dress catching the light as she laughed, her mask only enhancing her aura of control.

“She doesn’t look worried,” I whispered.

“She never does,” Petrik replied. “But that doesn’t mean she’s not panicking. Look at the way she’s holding court—she’s trying to keep them loyal.”

“What’s the plan?” I asked, my voice low.

“We wait for an opening,” he said. “And when we see it, we make our move.”

The opportunity came an hour later. One of Diana’s lieutenants, a wiry man with a nervous energy, broke away from the group and headed toward a private corridor at the back of the club. Petrik and I followed at a safe distance, slipping past the bouncers with the help of Nikolai’s forged credentials.

The corridor led to a small, private lounge. The lieutenant was speaking into a phone, his voice low but urgent. Petrik motioned for me to stay back as he moved closer, his movements silent and calculated.

“What do you mean it’s frozen?” the man hissed into the phone. “We need those funds, or the deal’s off!”

Petrik stepped into the room, his presence immediately commanding. The man spun around, his eyes wide with shock.

“You’re late,” Petrik said, his tone icy. “I was starting to think you didn’t want to talk.”

The man’s mouth opened and closed, no words coming out. I stepped into the room behind Petrik, closing the door quietly.

“Relax,” I said, my voice calm but firm. “We’re not here to hurt you. We’re here to talk.”

The man swallowed hard, his gaze darting between us. “I don’t know what you want.”

“We want Diana,” Petrik said, stepping closer. “And you’re going to help us get her.”

The man’s hands trembled, but I saw the flicker of fear in his eyes turn to something else—opportunity. He wasn’t loyal, not really. He was scared. And scared people were predictable.

“She’s losing control,” Petrik continued, his voice low and dangerous. “If you want to survive this, you’ll switch sides. Now.”

For a long moment, the man didn’t move. Then, slowly, he nodded.

“What do you need?” he asked, his voice barely audible.

Petrik’s lips curled into a cold smile. “Everything.”

As we left the lounge, the tension between us hadn’t lessened. If anything, it had grown heavier. We were closer to taking Diana down, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that the price of this victory was only going to climb higher.

And I wasn’t sure how much more any of us could afford to pay.